Jac and the Journalist
by CassidyTVNut
Summary: An inbetweener for 18/08/09 and 25/08/09. Spoilers, so don’t read if you want to be surprised.
1. The Phone Call

Jac and the Journalist

**An inbetweener for 18/08/09 and 25/08/09. Spoilers, so don't read if you want to be surprised.**

Chapter 1: The Phone Call

Jac POV

I heard Mrs Beauchamp say how she was going to step down and let Ric have his way.

I told her that she'd get what she wants soon enough.

Then she walked away.

I took the card of that journalist out of my pocket, debating whether to ring up and dish out a juicy story about Ric Griffin and Derek Newman.

I could do, but it might come back to me.

I could lose my job, and it would be hard to find another one if I was sacked.

But I had to do it. I'd rather work under Connie than Ric anyday.

I dialled the number and waited for someone to pick up, whilst slipping into the staff room to avoid being heard.

'This is Paula Lyon, how may I help you?'

'I've got a story for you, a nice juicy one about Ric Griffin and Zero Tolerance. Interested?'

'Yes, very. Who am I speaking to?'

'You don't need to know. All you need to know is that Ric Griffin operated on a nurse's father on a risky operation even though he is a heavy smoker and was drunk before the operation, to Mr Griffin's knowledge.'

'And zero tolerance?'

'Zero tolerance is a one man crusade, which has no backing of his fellow colleagues whatsoever. It's coincidental that this crusade started after the death of his son from a heroin overdose, he has an acute discrimination towards overweight people, smokers, drinkers and drug users, even though he was once some of these himself.'

'Really, what ones?'

'I've heard from some of the older crowd that he was once a heavy drinker and a marijuana user. I'm not sure if that continues now.'

'Anything else interesting to add? Because this stuff is gold.'

'In his reign as King of Surgery, his policy has lost us a security guard and a fellow doctor to violent criminals with knives, a massive increase in before. He's a hypocrite who has one rule for himself, and one for others.'

'It's juicy, damaging, I love it! Give me your bank details and I'll wire over some money.'

'Oh, I didn't do it for the money. Have fun with your story.'

I ended the call and exhaled deeply.

I couldn't go back now, the damage had been done.


	2. Et Toi Ric?

Jac and the Journalist

**An inbetweener for 18/08/09 and 25/08/09. Spoilers, so don't read if you want to be surprised.**

Chapter 2: Et Toi Ric?

Connie POV

I came into work the next day and bought a paper from the shop, like I usually do.

I couldn't believe the headline.

ET TOI RIC?

I knew very well from having a French background that it meant, and you Ric?

I went up to my office and read the article.

**We've all been gathering at the feet of St Ric of Holby since his Zero Tolerance Policy came into play. But, a source has come forward and revealed that Holby's Saviour is not so saint like after all.**

_Zero Tolerance has been a controversial move on Mr Griffin's part to improve patient care. But there have been several complaints regarding Mr Griffin's competence and bedside manor. Our source reckons that something set Mr Griffin off on his 'one man crusade.'_

_Our source stated that it was 'coincidental that this crusade started after the death of his son from a heroin overdose, he has an acute discrimination towards overweight people, smokers, drinkers and drug users, even though he was once some of these himself.' When questioned further, our source said 'he was once a heavy drinker and a marijuana user. I'm not sure if that continues now.'_

_In Mr Griffin's 'reign' as Director of Surgery, it has been well publicised that 2 of the staff at City Hospital lost their lives after separate incidents with knives, incidents which had very rarely occurred until 2 followed in quick succession. LJ, the security guard stabbed to death and Madeline Young, the promising young surgeon who lost her life._

_More recently, Mr Griffin was praised for his lowering of hospital mortality rates, but our source reveals that 'Ric Griffin operated on a nurse's father on a risky operation even though he is a heavy smoker and was drunk before the operation, to Mr Griffin's knowledge.' After further investigation, the operation was found to only have a 7% chance of success. The patient in question, Derek Newman, then died of post operative complications._

_Mr Griffin looked to the people of Holby and promised to make our hospitals safe, and to refuse to the chronically overweight, alcoholic, smoking and drug abusing patients to make room for, and I quote from the maestro himself, 'the hard working, clean living people of Holby that have to wait behind these people for care.' We have one question to ask Mr Griffin, and you?_

I laughed at the crude but astonishingly correct article.

This was gold for journalists.

Ric was on the way down.

But she knew she'd be blamed, and set out to find out who it really was.

She started to interrogate.

First in was Joseph, although I doubted it, he was too reserved and loyal for that.

I spoke to him, and from the way he spoke to me, I gathered that he wasn't guilty.

I read the article again, the language was very feminine, but in the alpha female dominant kind of way. It sounded like something that she would say.

And who was a strong female who reminded me of myself?

It could only be one person – Jac Naylor.

I picked up my phone and dialled.

'Please page Jac Naylor to Connie Beauchamp's office. Thank you.'

She put the phone down, and prepared to talk to the young surgeon.


End file.
